Sara Orwig - At the Rancher's Request

In minutes she had cereal and a glass of milk as she sat beside Scotty and across from Mike.

“Please go on with your regular routine today and don’t let me change it,” she said.

“Will you help us build a snowman later?” Scotty asked.

“Sure, I will,” she said. “A snowman sounds like fun.”

Mike had a covered bowl on the table and when he raised the lid, she saw scrambled eggs.

“If those aren’t still hot, tell me. I’ll scramble some more,” he said.

She shook her head. “No, thank you. What I have is plenty.” She sipped her milk. “Do you know if it kept snowing into the night?”

“Oh, yes,” Mike replied. “The boys keep up with it and Ray said we had a record-setting eight inches.”

“Oh, Mike. I’m sorry—I’m sort of the houseguest who came for a night and stayed for a week. Eight inches—I won’t be able to get my car out of that and I doubt if the state road will be cleared.”

“You’re right on all counts. We’re glad to have you, so just relax, Savannah. This is a break in routine winter days.”

“Thanks,” she said, drinking some milk and eating cereal. After a few bites, her stomach lurched and worry gripped her. She didn’t want to be sick in front of Mike. She turned to talk to Scotty.

“I have a scarf you can use to put around your snowman’s neck,” she said, trying to ignore her queasy stomach.

“Savannah, are you all right?” Mike asked, studying her.

Feeling worse by the second, she shook her head. “Where’s the nearest bathroom?”

He stood and came around the table swiftly, taking her arm as she stood. “We’ll be right back, Scotty,” Mike said, leading Savannah away from the table. Mike headed to the hall and opened a bathroom door.

“Thanks.” As soon as the door closed, she lost the small breakfast she had eaten. She washed her face and hands with cold water and waited while her stomach settled slightly. When she opened the door, Mike leaned against the wall with his arms folded. Studying her, he straightened.

“Better now?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Do you need a doctor?”

“No, I’ve been to one. Don’t worry, this isn’t contagious.”

“I didn’t think it was,” he said quietly.

“You better get back to Scotty. He’s in a high chair.”

“He gets himself into that chair a dozen times a day and he gets himself down. Scotty is a climber so there’s no worry. He’s an easy kid to have around, and he’s an only child and that makes it easier. C’mon. You probably want to sit.”

“Yes, I do.”

They went to the family area where Scotty sat on the floor playing a game on a laptop.

“Mike, are you sure Scotty isn’t a bit older than you told me? He’s on a computer.”

“He has some games he likes and I’ve taught him how to pull them up. He catches on fast.” He studied her again. “Can I get you anything?”

“No, thanks. I’m feeling better now. I’ll get my dishes in a while.”

“Forget them. When’s your baby due or would you rather not talk about it?”

Startled, she focused on him. “I didn’t think my pregnancy showed yet.”

“It doesn’t. Elise had morning sickness. I recognize the symptoms.”

“I’m surprised you were able to tell by just one morning with me. I’m glad I found you yesterday—you were a lifesaver, but being saved by a mind reader is a little disconcerting.”

“I’m no mind reader, just observant. I assume your pregnancy is the reason you wanted to get out of Little Rock and go to California.”

“You’re right. You might not be a mind reader, but you’re definitely astute,” she said. His calm acceptance of discovering his guest was pregnant put her more at ease. If he had been shocked, worried about a pregnant woman on his hands or worse—acted disgusted the way her ex-fiancé had, she would have been embarrassed and upset. Also, his enthusiasm over his son helped put her at ease because it was obvious he liked kids and was filled with love for his son. She still hurt when she thought of the last conversation with Kirk and how he had stared at her, his gaze raking sharply over her after she had announced her pregnancy.

Get rid of it, Kirk had said. His first words to her had stabbed as if he had plunged a knife into her heart. His words had hurt, but the blunt dismissal had made her protective of her baby from that moment on. She brought her attention back to Mike.

“Your ex-fiancé didn’t want babies—what did you tell me—for another fifteen years? Or he really doesn’t ever want children?”

“He said he doesn’t want children for at least another fifteen years. I’m twenty-six and I don’t want to have my first child when I’m fifteen to twenty years older. I really don’t think he ever wants kids, but he wouldn’t say that. He didn’t want this baby at all. He didn’t care what I did as long as I didn’t keep the child.”

“That’s a hell of a thing,” Mike said, a note of steel in his voice that made her feel better. “Scotty is my whole world. I love him with every ounce of my being,” he said, looking at his son and a tender note coming into his voice that gave a twist to her heart.

“That’s wonderful for both of you. And the way I’d hoped it would be.”

“Sorry, but it’s good you found out now before you said vows. He gave up his baby and let you walk away—that’s the mistake of his life.”

“He didn’t view it that way. When he found out I was pregnant, I think he wanted to be rid of me. He signed over all parental rights, too. He wouldn’t have given any financial support anyway, but I didn’t want any from him.”

“I’d say you’re a hell of a lot better off without this jerk.”

“I feel as if I am. I don’t miss him—or if I do, I just think of the hurtful things he said to me about the baby and that changes any feelings I have for him.”

“That’s tough. So when’s your baby due?”

“I’m into my second month. I’ve been given an October date. We’ll see. What shakes me is my poor judgment about a man I had such a close relationship with and planned to spend my life with. I’ve known him since we were about eight or nine. I misjudged him in the worst way and that’s frightening.”

“Looks to me like you’ve learned from the experience.”

“It shakes my faith in myself. I don’t trust myself to fall in love again.”

“I imagine next time you’ll get to know the guy better in ways you didn’t the first time.” Mike stood. “Now I’m going to put the dishes into the dishwasher. You sit tight and don’t do anything. Then I need to get back to help the guys. When I return, Scotty,” he said, looking at his son who waited expectantly, “we’ll go build a snowman.”

Scotty grinned and returned to his computer game.

“My foreman said he has plenty of help, but I want to make sure. Usually, Nell, our nanny, is here and I work on the ranch with the others. They were still breaking ice and dropping bales of hay for feed when I left this morning. We need to make sure animals don’t get cut off and lost from the herd.”

“Don’t let me interfere. I’m happy to stay with Scotty.”

Mike loaded the dishwasher and cleaned up the kitchen, working efficiently. “I’ll be back in a few hours. I have my phone and the number is written clearly there on a piece of paper. Scotty knows how to call me, too.” He gave his son a kiss on the head, then left.

“Well, aren’t you the smart boy, Scotty,” she said, glancing at him and receiving another smile. “After you finish your breakfast in the kitchen, we can play a game if you’d like,” she told him.

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.

* * *

While Scotty was happily drawing, Savannah walked to the mantel to pick up the picture and look closely at Mike with his arm around his late wife as they smiled at each other. Elise had been a beautiful woman. Mike was still deeply in love with her. Last night, their proximity, maybe hurt and loneliness, made them both vulnerable.